Trip Aces gets class relief in bid for breakthrough win
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ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trip Aces is descending from maiden-special company, and Big Screen Boss is stretching out to an appropriate distance. They look like the protagonists in Thursday’s sixth race for Ontario-sired and $40,000 maidens going 1 1/16 miles on the Tapeta at Woodbine.
Trained by Mark Casse for owner Gary Barber, Trip Aces made all eight of his starts in the maiden-special ranks, beginning Jan. 4 at Gulfstream. His best of four races there during the winter was a troubled third in a two-turn maiden special on the Tapeta on Feb. 1.
Trip Aces nearly got the job done in his local bow on the Tapeta on May 16, when he led until deep stretch before weakening to second. Third-place finisher Special Sessions returned to beat Trip Aces while landing another maiden-special route a month later when Trip Aces earned a career-best 76 Beyer Speed Figure.
Trip Aces got fried in a three-way speed battle two starts back when a distant third behind future Prince of Wales Stakes victor Runaway Again in a race taken off the turf. He finally got onto the main turf Aug. 3 and finished a non-threatening fifth.
Trip Aces competes for the $40,000 tag on Thursday while dropping some weight with apprentice Xarel Forde gaining the mount. The 21-year-old Bajan native is 1 for 6 riding for leading trainer Casse.
Big Screen Boss was competitive in all four of his outings while sprinting on the Tapeta. He filled out the exacta twice in the spring before racing four wide when a well-beaten second with the addition of blinkers in a rapidly run race July 20.
Stretching out from six to seven furlongs most recently, Big Screen Boss was hard ridden during a wide journey before checking in fourth. Apprentice Pietro Moran will ride him again for trainer Kevin Attard, who had a 21 percent strike rate with first-time routers on synthetics over the past five years, with a return on investment of $1.96.
Big Screen Boss is a full brother to the stakes-winning sprinter/milers Sav and Cruden Bay. His half-brother Cooler Mike was a stakes-winning router with earnings of nearly $500,000.
Trainer Krista Cole entered the older geldings Thor’s Cause and Paradise Perfect in the six-horse field.
Thor’s Cause finished seventh in the 2024 King’s Plate and fifth in the Breeders’ Stakes. After running fifth in his June 1 season opener, he placed in three straight races at this level, ending up a close second most recently in his best performance on turf.
Paradise Perfect was competitive sprinting on the main turf before checking in third behind Thor’s Cause stretching out to 1 1/16 miles on the inner turf Aug. 24.
Rocket Speed, who fared okay in both of his sprints, has a blend of speed and stamina in his pedigree. Trainer Ron Sadler has surprisingly low numbers with stretch-outs on synthetics, but his favorite rider, Rafael Hernandez, retains the mount on the son of Amis Gizmo.
Post time for the seven-race card is 5:30 p.m.
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